


Outlanderish

by writtenbythesea2026



Category: Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, House of El, Krypton, Kryptonians, Life on Krypton, Outlander - Freeform, Zod - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27410878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenbythesea2026/pseuds/writtenbythesea2026
Summary: This was inspired by the show Outlander. Lois Lane is an award winning reporter who seems to have everything she wants in life, but feels there is something missing. When tasked with a story about the discovery of tribal caves in Smallville, she is transported to another world and saved by a stranger. Will she be able to survive in this new and uncertain environment?
Relationships: Clark Kent & Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Clois - Relationship
Comments: 19
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter One

Lois Lane dropped the receiver of the phone on her desk. Her sister Lucy had just informed her, in a deliriously happy voice, that she was engaged to be married to a soldier she had met on the base where their father was. They had only known each other a few months and their father had already given his blessing. She couldn’t believe it as she shook her head. Usually she was targeted as the impulsive one. It had also taken over a year before her father accepted Oliver Queen, her boyfriend, as part of her life. She shook her head again and looked down at her ring finger. Her fiancé, she corrected in her mind. She hadn’t told her family about the recent engagement. The sound of her sister’s voice, the excitement that rang through the speaker of the phone, outmatched what she had felt only a week prior when she called her best friend, Tess Mercer, about her news. She suddenly began to wonder why that was. What hadn’t she called her sister, her father, her close cousin Whitney with the same fervor?

  
Pushing back from her desk, she grabbed her gray blazer and headed for the elevator. When she entered she hit the button for the 22nd floor and mindlessly made her way from the elevator to the separate stairway that led to the roof. She made this journey too often she realized when she was standing by ledge and ten minutes had already gone by. She looked out over the skyline of Metropolis and let out a deep sigh. She had everything she could, and thought she did, want. She was an award winning journalist, her Kerth and Pulitzer awards on display to signify her achievements. She has a crazy rich and hot boyfriend, who now was her fiancé. And yet, she felt something was missing. She had travelled the world, met different people from wonderful places and learned and wrote of their cultures. She had had so many wonderful experiences that she felt guilty for feeling incomplete.

She sighed again. What was wrong with her?

The buzzing from her jacket pocket brought her back to reality. She pulled out her phone and swiped the screen open, seeing the text messages her photographer had been sending her.

_\--The Chief is looking for you.  
\--Where are you?  
\--He’s about to blow a gasket.  
\--He keeps screaming Great Caesar’s Ghost. You better get here.  
\--Lois????_

Closing the screen and placing her phone back in her pocket, Lois’s six inch heels moved across the cement with great speed. While she had been up on the roof contemplating the mysterious emptiness in her life, it was her job that helped fill the void. She smirked as she thought about the advice given to her by her mentor in college, “Bury your heartache in your job, Lane. The readers will feel it.” Hoping that the editor in chief, Perry White, was flying off the handle because of a breaking story she hurried her steps down the stairwell, not bothering with the elevator. She pushed the door open to the floor with Perry’s office. Her shoes clicked across the floor hastily, making her presence known to the reporters moving out of her way.

“Where’s Lane!?” Perry bellowed from the conference room.

“Right here, Chief.” She said raising her hand as she stepped through the doorway.

The panic stricken face of young photographer Jimmy Olsen started to subside when Lois entered the room. The whole atmosphere for that matter did, like a lion tamer had entered the cage.

“Finally, I need you on a story stat.”

Good, just what she needed.

“Okay, Chief, hit me with it.” She said, taking a seat in the rolling chair and twisting side to side.

“Underground caves were discovered in the town of Smallville, about two hours out from here. I want you on it.”

Her excitement deflated.

“Perry, I get that it might be front page news for the Corn Husk Gazette, or whatever paper they have out there, but why are we covering it?” Really she wanted to ask why SHE was covering it.

“I have a feeling, Lane. I have a feeling.”

She rolled her eyes as she watched him smile at the ceiling at nothing, lost in the thought of his great news instincts. Sure, Perry White has a nose for news and could sniff out a potential story, but so did she. She didn’t win awards for nothing. She was already to counter and fight this story, when something inside her paused the knee jerk reaction. Maybe going out into Podunkville wasn’t such a bad idea. She could use a little time away to think and while investigating maybe even prove to Perry it was a stupid story, so rubbing that in his face would be an added bonus.

The room was looking at her, waiting for her to blast back at the chief and make a scene. They were sorely disappointed and taken aback when she replied, “Okay.” They all glanced at one another, not sure how to react.

“I want you out there on the double.”

_Really?_

“Really?” She exclaimed. The room settled down. That was the Lois Lane they knew.

“Yes, Lane. Today.”

“Perry, come on. Who is going to scoop us? The children of the corn?”

“Today, Lane!”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes more blatantly. She pushed her chair away from the table and stomped her heels on her way out.

“These better be some goddamn amazing caves!” She yelled as she grabbed her bag from her desk and headed once again to the elevator doors.

* * *

Two hours later, and in a more comfortable outfit of a white tanktop and jeans, she was on a desolate country road surrounded by farmland. Her GPS called it an ‘unknown’ road and she once again thanked Perry with some added expletives as she searched for the area of these wondrous caves. She brought her coffee to her lips. It was a town without a Starbucks, but she had to admit that the one coffee place in town, The Talon, did make a delicious brew. There she was also able to talk up some locals and learn more about the caves that had been discovered by a development group. Once discovered, they had to stop working until it was understood just what they had found. Rumor was that it was the lost caves of the local native tribe, the Kawatche. That did intrigue her.

She did some quick research on the tribe before setting out for Miller’s Bend, the area above the caves. If the discovery of these caves meant protecting the heritage and culture of a tribe, she was all for that. She didn’t think Perry needed her on the story to get the word out in a bigger publication, though. This time, she would just suck it up. Maybe there was a juicier twist to this story. She could balk and roll her eyes at Perry White and his instincts, but she had to admit he was usually right about these things. She would never admit that out loud, however.

Once she spotted excavating equipment she assumed she was in the right place. Yellow caution tape and a temporary fence were up around the work area. Pulling over her SUV, she parked outside of the marked off area. She grabbed her bag and began to march to the worksite. There were chains on the fence and signs prohibiting entrance and trespassing. She threw her bag over the fence and waited for a guard or a dog to come out and investigate the noise. When she heard nothing, she began to scale the fence. When her boots touched back onto the ground, she picked up her bag and looked around for the entrance to the caves. What she found was a large whole in the ground, peering into a cavern.

“Good thing I changed.” She said looking down at her jeans and boots.

She estimated a seven foot drop and viewed rocks that jutted out that she could climb down about two to three feet on. It seemed reasonable and she had been in worse environments. It was in times like these that she was grateful for her military brat background. Her father taught her and her sister a treasure trove of survival tips. She stretched her left leg down and used the bottom of her boot for traction. She slid it down and reached for the first rock. She slowly made her way down until she was at a height that was safe enough to jump down. When she landed she looked back up at her entrance point.

“You made it down, Lois. But how exactly are you going to get back up?”

She chuckled to herself, as she once again got herself in a challenging situation, but she was confident she would find a solution. She always did.

She let out a cough as her landing stirred up dirt and dust into the air. She pulled her phone out and used the flashlight feature to get a better look at where she was. To her surprise the first wall she looked at was painted with drawings and symbols. She looked closer, trying to determine the language. She had been in Egypt years back and travelled through caves and pyramids and, while these symbols were similar, this was not the hieroglyphics she knew from that region. Maybe it was the language of the tribe, but then again, this did not come up in her quick research. It was still a possibility, but something inside her told her there was more to this.

She snapped some pictures, turning 360 degrees to get every surface, but this seemed to be it. Maybe she would travel back to that little coffee place and study the pictures over some of the delectable donuts she had seen in the glass case. Mmm. That sounded good to her.

As she began to calculate her exit, she felt a breeze of cold air brush against her face. It sent a chill down her back and she was startled. It was 75 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Where did that breeze come from down in the depths of the cave? She turned around in another circle trying to determine its origin. As she walked closer to the far right wall she started to hear a faint noise, almost like a whisper.

“Hello?” She called out. “Is somebody down here?”

When she reached the wall, it seemed as though she had reached a dead end.

“Great, I’m down here alone and I’m hearing things. Nothing to worry about, Lois.”

Then, she felt the cold air touch her again, almost push her toward the wall. Her shoulder hit the cool rock and a light yellow glow appeared on the wall. She was startled again when it began to move, creating a doorway.

“A secret passage?” She whispered to herself.

She contemplated going in, the dangers that she could encounter since she was alone. Any rational human would file this new knowledge away and come back with a cavalry, but not Lois. Nope, never Lois.

“Now, this just got more interesting.” She said as she entered the new passage.

She stood in a room with a circular altar and more writing on the wall. There was an octagonal indent, like a piece or key was missing. The whispering started again and she tried to decipher it. She knew it was coming from the wall, which disturbed her, but it also drew her closer. It was like it was calling out to her. Once she stood in front of the wall she slowly brought her hand up. She traced the symbols and the octagonal shape before she let her fingers touch the center. And in that one decision, the brush of her fingertips against the indent of the wall caused the drawings to spin around, a concretion of all these parts, glowing together as the circle spun faster and faster until the glow eclipsed the room and all she saw was white.


	2. Chapter Two

In her life, Lois had happened into some daunting circumstances now and again. She had been in a motor vehicle accident during a high speed chase, dangled over the side of a high-rise hotel building, cornered by a wild tiger, and held at gunpoint. In all of these situations her body had reacted into an overdrive, where the world suddenly slowed and her senses heightened. Whatever had happened in those moments paled in comparison to the free fall her body had felt in the seconds after touching the cave wall. The adrenaline twisted with electric currents in her body until like a snap of a finger, it was gone. She was numb. Her hazel eyes fluttered open, not exactly sure what she had just endured. White. She still saw white. But it wasn’t a bright light, but something tangible, soft and cold. It was snow. Her body shivered violently, almost convulsing against the frozen hard ground. She used her forearm to push herself onto her side and get a better sense of her surroundings. She was no longer in the Kawatche caves of Smallville. Was she hallucinating? Maybe when she had jumped down she hadn't secured her perfect landing. Maybe she had hit her head against a rock and this was all in her mind. Or, maybe, she was dead? Lois shook her head as much as she could, the cold making her body rigid. That couldn’t be it. That wasn’t it. She kept telling herself that, willing her body to move. She managed to sit up and focus her sight on what was straight in front of her. Trees. Lots of them. Covered in snow. She was in a dense forest and it was snowing. She gathered all of this with one other important fact...she was no longer in Smallville.

She let out little groans as she moved her body once more, bringing her cupped hands up to her mouth and blowing hot air into them. She felt more of her senses coming back to her and she found the strength to stand up. She hugged her body, cursing to herself that she hadn’t brought her anorak jacket with her when she left her vehicle parked behind the fence leading to the caves. Though, last she knew, it had been 75 degrees. Not really jacket weather. 

She tried to create enough movement and friction on her skin to warm herself up enough to move from her stationed spot. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She would have attributed it to the temperature, but this was different. She felt like she wasn’t alone. The thought made her hands instinctively grab on to her upper arms tighter. She was in a strange place, alone, and cold. The thoughts of someone out there watching her caused her to shiver once more.

Needing to move herself before her appendages froze in place, she started to walk straight. She looked for any tracks in the snow, first to see if anyone was out there with her, and also to see if maybe it would lead her in the right direction. She wracked her brain for all the survival lessons the General had taught her over the years. She felt like she was a contestant on a wilderness survival show and she needed to stay alive. Her father would have her looking for a way to determine the cardinal direction she was walking in, but the snow covered the base of the trees and the constellations in the sky were foreign to her. She couldn’t find the North star at all.

“This is ridiculous.” She whispered, her teeth chattering.

A gust of wind stung her face and it took her breath away. She needed to find shelter, but she couldn’t even find animal tracks to take her to a possible den. She was beginning to worry that her time was truly running out. Hypothermia would have to be setting in shortly.

Just then a voice cut through the frigid air. 

“Who are you and how did you enter this area?”

She turned to see a tall man with stark features staring at her. His eyes were dark, his thin lips pursed together. He wore a uniform that seemed to be military in style. It was brown and beige, with black stripes and patches in different shapes, the Z the most prominent. She knew a lot of military men growing up on different bases, but she was never intimidated by them. This time, she had to admit, the individual standing before her made her nervous.

“I….I don’t know.”

He marched toward her with determination. She started to walk backward until her back hit and scraped against the trunk of a tree. She couldn’t run. If she did she’d be lost and probably die in the elements. Or she could die now, she guessed.

The man grabbed her upper arm with force and pulled her closer to him, their faces only inches apart. She hissed in pain from his grip. Her teeth clenched as she stared him in the eyes. She mustered up some confidence to stand her ground, pushing the fear she had to the background when he laid his hand on her. 

“I won’t ask again.” He said, and she finally noticed an accent in his voice.

Instead of opening her mouth, she broke from the man’s grip and used whatever strength she had to push him back. She had decided that she would rather take her chances using the General’s Guide to Survival in the middle of nowhere than fathom what that man would do to her. She sprinted in the snow, picking the direction to her left. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t get far. She stopped in her tracks when the man suddenly appeared before her once more. He was quick enough to grab her, this time his right hand clasped around her neck.

“You dare defy me?”

She wanted to say something. Give him a famous Lois Lane quip, but she could feel her airway closing up as his grip tightened. She was losing oxygen. Her eyes became heavy. She tried to fight it, but she felt her consciousness was slipping away. 

When her eyes opened up again, her throat gasped as she stared up into the most beautiful turquoise eyes she had ever seen. This new individual crouched over her had a grey scarf wrapped around his face, his piercing eyes the only feature she could see. She waited for the shivers of her body to start again, only to be surprised to feel something warm and soft against her skin. She was wrapped in a heavy white robe. She felt the material from the wide cuffs that hung from her wrist. This person must have put this on her, she presumed. But after her last encounter, she wasn’t going to be quick to trust anyone just yet.

When he extended his hand toward her she grabbed his wrist and twisted it, using a move that again her father had taught her in her younger years, and maneuvered herself so his body was trapped beneath hers. He didn’t move and she wasn’t sure he was even breathing until she finally saw his chest move. 

“Where am I? What is going on?” She demanded, though her voice was not able to reach a loud volume since her throat was still sore. The icy air was actually helpful in that moment.

He didn’t speak. He just remained still, watching her. She sighed, needing him to provide answers to all the questions swarming her brain.

“Tell me what the hell is going on and how I got here!”

The wind howling was her only response. He just just held his gaze at her and she deeply sighed in defeat. 

“Great. I find someone not trying to kill me in this unenchanted forest and he doesn’t speak English.” She pulled the robe closer around her. “My name is Lois, by the way.” She placed her hand on her chest, pointing to herself. “Lo-is,” she said slowly, hoping he would understand.

She wanted to see if he would reply with his name, but he remained silent, though she could swear she saw amusement swim in his eyes for a brief second. She hated silence. It was as unbearable as the bitter air around them. She brought her hands up to her hair, the wide cuffs of the robe grazing and curtaining her face.

“God, I can’t believe this. This is all Perry’s fault. I didn’t want to do the stupid story, but, no, I followed his stupid ass hunch and where does it land me? In some arctic tundra where I’m almost kidnapped by GI Schmo and am sitting with someone who doesn’t even understand what I’m saying. I’m never going to get back home. Wherever that even is. This is just the icing on the cake to my messed up life.”

She didn’t want to cry. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get emotional in front of a stranger, more so, because she didn’t want the tears to freeze on her face. Before her morning contemplation on the roof, she had been caught by Perry a few days after her engagement staring out the window of the Daily Planet.

_“Penny for your thoughts, Lane?”_

_Without tearing her eyes away from the city skyline she asked, "Perry, you ever wonder what would happen if you decided to just run away and never look back?"_

_“Hmm.” He took a beat and answered, "Once or twice, but here I am."_

_"Yeah, me too. Here I am." She sighed, not understanding the feelings stirring inside of her._

“Be careful what you put out into the universe, I guess.” She whispered to herself.

Realizing a body had been trapped under her weight this entire time, Lois started to stand up to release the man, but he pulled her back down forcefully, her face almost crashing down into his.

“Hey!” She exclaimed.

“It’s not safe.”

Her eyes widened to his deep firm voice. He did speak her language and more than likely understood everything she had just ranted about. 

“Stay low. His men are out here,” he informed her.

“Whose?” She asked, already connecting back to her first encounter.

“General Zod.”

“And who are you?”

He removed the scarf from his face and she held her breath. He was gorgeous. She wanted to slap her face to get a hold of herself, but it was true. His dark hair fell over his eyes and each of his now visible features were molded so perfectly he could be a model. She gently shook her head. She couldn’t distract herself with this. There were more pressing matters that needed her attention.

“My name is Kal-El.” He said. And before she could ask again he offered the last bit of information that ultimately made her stomach plummet, “And you’re on Krypton.”


	3. Chapter Three

Lois was aghast at this news. Krypton? Where in the hell was Krypton? Was she in some Russian town near the Arctic Circle? Even if that were the case, how had she gotten there from Kansas? It was all starting to sound insane. She needed clarification. She needed details. She needed all aspects to make the story plausible.

“Wait, where am I?” She repeated.

“Krypton.” He said, examining her head, probably thinking she had a head injury. She wasn’t doubting she didn’t at that point. 

Before she could ask him where Krypton was located there was a snap of a branch close in the woods. Kal-El threw his scarf to her hastily.

“Wrap it around your face,” he commanded.

“You could ask nicely and explain to me what is going on like I’ve asked a million times.” She balked. He seemed like yet another of the military men she knew in her life, barking orders.

“Do you want to get out of here alive?” He asked. She could see him visibly becoming irritated by her responses and her stubbornness.

“Okay, Terminator. I buy into the whole _‘come with me if you want to live’_ scenario because of my encounter with that Z guy, but I need answers, too.”

His face scrunched up in confusion. “Who is Terminator? I’m Kal-El.” He seemed to look at her head once more.

She couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked, like a confused puppy. 

Kal-El then grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. Before she could even protest his manhandling, or react to her body being so close to his, they were moving between trees with precise speed. He seemed to know this forest like the back of his hand and since every tree looked the same to her, she relented and followed his lead. While trudging through the snow, Lois tried to wrap the scarf around her face. As they picked up speed it became even more difficult. She fumbled with the material, trying to lift it up as it fell from her nose and mouth. She couldn’t even run that quickly due to the bulk and weight of the robe she had on, as well. They stopped for a moment and she truly took in her surroundings. The brisk cold air against her and the sinking feeling of the ground below her. The air smelled like snow, and for a brief moment, the familiar scent enveloped her in relief. And, if what her gut was saying was correct, she felt safe. She looked over at the man who was now her companion. She stared at his back and muscular build. He had red material falling over his backside with something embroidered on it she couldn’t quite make out because of the flakes of snow caught to it. She was about to ask him a question when his head darted to the left, almost like he had heard something.

“Come on.” He said, as he grabbed her forearm once again.

She was quickly pulled away from the feelings of familiarity and wonder when she was moving behind Kal-El. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she found herself standing in front of a monstrosity of crystal and ice, almost like a castle.

She was hesitant to go further, but Kal-El tugged on his grip of her arm. He brought her to the opening, her face covered as they passed two other men waiting outside. They were older than Kal-El, not as muscular, and in white service dress under their long robes. Though, this was unlike any military base she had ever been to, even a foreign one.

 _‘They really find that fashionable here.’_ She thought when she focused on their robes.

"Scouting the woods again?" The short guy with dark hair and a mustache asked.

She narrowed her eyes and concentrated on a nickname for him. She smirked when she thought he resembled the video game plumber character Mario. The other guy next to him was lanky, but taller than _Mario_ , also with mustache-like growth under his nose. He would be _Luigi_.

"Is that your prisoner?" _Luigi_ asked Kal-El.

Both men looked at her and she stiffened at the words. Was she his prisoner? She had let him lead her to this foreign place. Had her gut betrayed her? Maybe the confusion had messed with her inner reasoning. Was she in a worse situation than if she had been left with that Zod guy? Fear had begun to set in tremendously. 

Kal-El pushed her behind him, out of view. "I can't disclose that to you."

"Fine. Always have to be by the book, Kal." _Mario_ commented.

"Well, he has to be." _Luigi_ added.

"It's about not being so serious all the time." _Mario_ countered.

While the two bickered over Kal's personality traits, the commanding male brought her inside. The walls almost looked like blocks of glass. It was bright and the ceiling stood what seemed like hundreds of feet off the ground. She began to wonder if he was taking her to a cell. They rounded a corner and entered a room with the likeness of a sterile lab. She was surprised at the amount of technology in the room. Machines were moving on their own, holographic pictures suspended in the air. She had never seen anything like it in real life. It was beyond advanced. She spotted metallic metal tables in the room and she cringed to think she was about to be experimented on. A tall man with white hair, and yet another white robe, entered the room and quickly hit a button that formed a door, seemingly trapping them together inside. The new individual eyed them both and then stared at Kal-El.

"Your suspicions were correct." Kal confirmed. 

"I feared that this was coming."

Lois stood still, confused and fearful as ever as she watched the exchange between the two. This new man was obviously older and seemed to be the owner of the room as he waved his hand in front of the holographic screen and it changed to an image of the woods she and Kal had just run through. 

_‘I’ll name you, Bill Nye, the Science Guy.’_ She thought.

"What is your confirmation?" 

"An altar about a few miles from here and... her." Kal-El said, his eyes darting to her.

"Her?"

Lois took that as a signal to unwrap the scarf from her face. "Hi, I'm Lois. Lois Lane."

"Tell him where you're from." Kal-El said gruffly.

She glared at Kal and continued, "Metropolis. Though I was in Smallville when this whole _Frozen Ever After_ ride started. "

The scientist's eyes widened only a little, but he seemed to be deep in thought as if trying to retrieve something in the depths of his brain.

"Earth." Kal-El added. With this last tidbit of information the eyes of the science guy before her doubled in size.

"Earth." He breathed. "Of course. Quickly, take her to your chambers."

Lois did a double take, "Wait, what? Hold on just a second. I don't know him, you, or where in the tundra of fuck I am. Like hell I'm going to his chambers. I don't know what ideas you have, but I'm not going to be a prisoner or a slave. So, instead of all this _'take me to your leader'_ crap, how about you just take me home?"

 _Bill Nye_ stretched out his arms and held her shoulders kindly. He then said calmly, "No harm is planned to come to you, Lois Lane. You have my word. Please, excuse me."

He left the room in a hurry, the door disappearing as soon as he had reached it and then reappearing once he went past the threshold.

She turned to Kal-El, her voice high as she tried to bury her panic with a huffy expression. "Still not feeling comforted. I don't even know who that was."

"That was my father." Her eyes snapped up to his. "And this is our house. The House of El. You'll be safe here. For now." 

The words _'for now'_ rang in her ears and she gulped as she followed Kal-El out of the room.


	4. Chapter Four

While the ice palace was certainly beautiful, it quickly began to feel like an arctic jail. Her cellmate being the tall, dark, and handsome Kal-El-- who more and more seemed like an enigma. He had followed his father's orders and brought her to his room and, just as the air around her, his demeanor was cold to her. However, she could see a warmth in his eyes every so often when he looked her way. 

Unable to bear the uncomfortable silence any longer she blurted out, "So what exactly does _'for now'_ mean?" 

His head hung low as he replied, "There is a danger out there." 

She nodded her head remembering the man she met when she discovered herself in this new world. "That Zod guy, right? He seemed like a scary dude."

He stayed silent and she rolled her eyes. She was a journalist and her curiosity was eating at her. She had to know what was going on. "Come on," she said walking toward him. 

"You've got to give me something to work with. Imagine yourself in a new world, basically being held against your will with no information as to why. I need to know what I'm up against here."

He finally looked at her. "It's being dealt with."

"Not from this angle. My father is a military man and he'd be appalled at how this is going down." 

That obviously was a fabrication on her part since she had no idea what their plans in action were. What she said seemed to light a fire under Kal-El's ass, though, since he stormed over to stand toe to toe with her. He was riled up at this Earth woman and her lips could not help but curve upward. 

"You should not comment on things you have no knowledge of." 

She stood on her tippy toes to try and match his height, "So, then correct me." She lifted up her perfectly manicured eyebrows in challenge to him. 

He breathed out a grunt. "Zod is plotting to open the gate between Krypton and Earth. He wants to gain power here and rule over both worlds." 

Lois felt her stomach drop and could feel how serious the situation truly was. "How influential is he?"

"Very." Kal-El looked down at his feet then back at her. "There are only a few groups left that condemn Zod's actions. We're in the minority."

"And your government?"

"Splitting. It seems like it's only a matter of time."

He sat down on the bed in the room and removed the red tunic and attached cape from his chest. The shirt underneath was torn and revealed that he had a bloody gash on the back of his naked right shoulder. Filled with concern she was at his side examining the wound. 

"You're hurt." 

"I'm fine." 

Being around soldiers her whole life she knew how they reacted to being hurt in battle, how they could keep their poker face in place, and how annoying that was. 

"Where is your first aid kit?" He said nothing. "Your hydrogen peroxide? Antiseptic? Bandages?" She listed.

"I told you, I am fine," he said almost robotically. 

Finally fed up she poked her finger straight into the wound. Kal-El jerked forward and hissed in pain.

"Oh yeah, just fine." 

His head spun around, his turquoise eyes narrow in a steady glare. Her eyes matched and bore into his. They were so close that the tips of their noses were just barely touching. They were still and tense. Neither backing down or really knowing what to do next. While danger lurked outside the ice palace, something far more challenging, and interesting remained right in front of them. Lois hadn’t felt this way in a long time, it was both scary and exhilarating.

Unbeknownst to them, a person stood in the doorway, a lone audience member to a rather spellbinding show. 

"Am I interrupting something?" A tall blonde asked. Her white dress flowed around her frame and the light behind her bouncing off of the crystalled walls caused a glow to cascade over her. 

Kal-El lifted a piece of the torn cloth back over his wounded shoulder. "No, mother." 

Lois's mouth gaped open a bit at the reveal that the woman was his mother. She pried her eyes away from the woman in order to roll them at Kal-El's response. Lois tugged at the cloth and the wound was in view once more. "If he won't listen to me maybe he'll listen to you and get this looked at." 

His mother's eyes widened then narrowed at her son. "Kal-El! Go to the infirmary now!" 

"But--" 

"Go." 

In a huff he sat up and headed towards the door, but not before giving Lois a sour look on his way. She brushed it off as it was for his own good. When he was gone, though, she certainly felt the lack of his presence. It made her nervous. 

His mother still stood in the doorway, almost inspecting her. "My husband tells me you are from Earth." 

"That is correct."

"I have fond memories of there."

"Is it like a vacation spot for you guys here or something?" 

She chuckled, "No. It was a rite of passage for young Kryptonians, long ago. To travel to Earth and learn a lesson, but it was abused and going to Earth has been barred for many years. Cosmic bridges sealed off completely. Since Kal-El's infancy." 

"Until now." 

"Until now." She confirmed. 

Kal-El’s mother stepped into the room and Lois's initial reaction was to move back.

"The House of El means you no harm, Lois Lane of Earth."

"Just Lois is fine." 

As she saw the silhouette of a man walking behind the ice-like wall the tension started to ease when she noticed it was Kal-El returning. He was all bandaged up and carrying a tray. His mother seemed to notice this and gave a slight smile.

"A room for you will be available shortly. Please rest with ease until this situation has a solution." 

Lois nodded and the woman left, patting her son's good shoulder gently. They exchanged words in a language she did not understand and as she extended herself to try and listen further it was over and he was already back inside the room. 

"This is for you, Terran." 

She looked at the tray and saw that it was food, or something along those lines that looked edible. While she was hungry she was more concentrated on the word he called her. She knew _'Terra'_ was Latin for Earth and wondered how that word came to be in his vocabulary. 

"Well, if we're shelling out the nicknames then yours will be..." She thought for a moment until something popped into her mind. "Ah! You'll be Krypto." 

"Krypto?" 

" Yup. Short for Kryptonian and the fact you act all cryptic. Which brings up the point of asking why you are that way. I mean you seem odd, but you can't be that weird with a mom that cool." 

He pushed the tray into her. "Here. Eat."

She looked down at it and then back at him. "What is it?" 

The bowl had something that looked like mashed potatoes or ice cream in consistency. The plate had greens on it, which she assumed were vegetables, and some kind of meat.

"Do not be weary of it. It's good." 

She made a face and then voiced, "Did you poison it?"

To her surprise he smiled and admitted, "No, but I thought about it." 

"Oh, so you _can_ smile!" 

As quickly as it came it was gone. He was now closer to the door than to her. He seemed irritated, maybe at her or maybe at himself, and said, "Eat up. I'll go see if your room is available." 

Before she could object he was gone and she was alone again. She stirred at the mashed potato looking food and finally tasted it. It was sweet, like a dessert, and she made a mental note to ask what it actually was. Not feeling the urge to eat, which for her was rare, she decided to do what she did best--snoop. Pushing the tray aside she walked over to where there was a bookshelf and desk. There was a mass of paper and books, many authors she recognized as from Earth, some that were science fiction, which she found funny. There were other leather bound books that had no markings on the cover. She slid one toward her and opened it up, filtering quickly through the pages. The language was foreign, symbols that looked like hieroglyphics. Every page was signed at the bottom with an _‘S’_ that was inside the shape of a diamond. She looked around the room and took notice of the cape that Kal-El had taken off. It had the same symbol embroidered on it. She made the connection that it must represent his name or maybe his family, like a family crest, either way the writing was his, like journal entries. He was a writer. She closed the book and put it back where she found it and leaned on his desk. It seemed that she and Kal-El had more in common than she had realized.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

She hadn't seen Kal-El in days and it was starting to bother her. For as much of a brute he seemed to be at first, he was the only person who she really trusted and that was saying something since she didn't know him at all --and she was not one to trust easily anyway. Still, she felt a sense of safety having him hovering around. Without him, her fears of being in a foreign world increased ten fold.

In the time being, Lois laid in the bed of her new room. She thought it would feel different, hard and uncomfortable, yet it felt plush. She closed her eyes and she could see home. She could see her sister, her father, her cousin, Perry, and then she saw Oliver. She yearned for them, reaching out for them. She wondered if they knew if she was missing. Was Oliver not caring how much it cost to find her? She twirled her engagement ring on her finger and almost lost it in the lush comforter. 

She hadn't left her room, choosing to stay in the surprisingly comfortable bed and only briefly interacted with someone when they brought her food, which she still wasn't eating entirely. Kal-El's kind mother, Lara, seemed to notice this, but Lois remained silent--another quality that was rare to her. She hated silence, especially those that were uncomfortable, but she felt she remained in control if she kept to herself. Yet, it was wearing thin. The longer she stayed quiet the more she felt like going crazy inside. Even the marathon showers she took in the ensuite of her room weren’t relaxing her. She needed to get out. She needed to return home. 

Being alone so long she was able to try and map her journey so far and it led her back to the cave wall she had touched and an altar in the forest deep outside the fortress. Granted she had no idea how far it was, but she was getting to the point where she would die in the frozen wilderness to try and find it.

However, she had no plan. Without leaving her room she didn’t know the layout of her current accommodations either. She could hear the General in her head, voicing the proper strategies and battle plan when in enemy territory. She needed to make herself some kind of map and timeline, knowing where things were and where people were stationed, at what times, etcetera. The only way to compile this information would be to leave her room. 

Taking a breath she touched the exterior of the wall, like she had seen done before, and the door slid open into its pocket. As she took a step she stumbled and began to trip when she bumped into a solid object on the ground. Hearing a grunt, it turned out the solid object was a person. Her breath hitched and her heart palpitated to the discovery of a guard outside. As the head of the guard whipped toward her, turquoise eyes narrowed at her.

“Krypto?”

“Kal-El,” he corrected, rubbing his side. He pushed himself up off the floor, standing toe to toe with her, his size towering over. Yet, she didn’t feel intimidated by it. She felt protected.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked, her hand on her hip.

“I heard you weren’t leaving your quarters.”

She softened her stance. “And?”

He cleared his throat and shuffled his footing before replying, “Some of the men were curious about you.”

“Well, I guess I am the alien around here.” She saw him begin to grin, but he stopped himself. “So, you camped out here to be a bouncer at Club Lois?”

“Do you want the attention?”

“So, you were worried about me?” She smirked.

He gave her a small eye roll. “I was worried you were becoming a distraction to them.”

She nodded emphatically, “Sure, sure.” She then let out a small laugh at the annoyance she could see appearing on his face.

Losing her motivation, she turned around and headed back into the room.

“You can leave the confines of this place.” Kal-El remarked.

“I know.”

“So, then why aren’t you?” He asked, walking in without an invitation.

“And where would I go?”

Kal-El stopped in his tracks, understanding her point. He had just voiced he had been in front of her room because of the chatter of her arrival. 

“There are other secluded places here.”

“Great, more alone time.”

“I could…” he sighed and continued, “I could go with you.”

She bit the inside of her cheek. She did feel safer with Kal-El around and leaving the room with him would give her the opportunity to collect more information about the layout of the joint. 

“Okay.”

“Good, my mother will be happy.”

“She’s really sweet.” Lois commented. She looked down at the flowy light blue bohemian dress she was wearing and recalled how Lara brought her the clothes. She was relieved they had colors other than white. It was actually when she undressed that she had discovered her press pass had been in her jean pocket. It was the only item she had left. It was identification and proof that she indeed was Lois Lane of Earth.

Kal-El, spying and snooping around the front of the room like she had done in his, spotted her press pass on the table near the door. He thumbed over the plastic, grazing the Daily Planet logo.

“What is this?” He asked.

“That’s my work pass. I flash that baby around and get into some pretty amazing places.”

“Something tells me it isn’t the pass that does that.” He said placing it back on the table.

“I do make an impression.” She nodded, reminiscing on all the undercover missions she’d gone on to get a story.

“That would be one way to describe you.”

She glared her eyes at him. “Look who got hit with the funny stick.” She craned her neck around trying to see if the wound on his shoulder was still bandaged up. “How’s the injury? That cut didn’t look too hot. And I would know. If I had a punch card for every time I’ve been in the emergency room...”

“You talk a lot.” He interjected.

“Yeah, well it looks better rambling to you than to a wall. Though, at times I can’t tell the difference.”

She could hear the growl under his breath and pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh. She enjoyed busting his chops.

“Come on.” He said at the entrance of the door.

She followed his lead and finally left her room. They walked together, her slowly, down the hallway. Everything was bright, which signaled to her that stealthily making it down in this direction wouldn’t be easy. When other people became visible, her anxiety grew. Kal-El, seeming to sense it, took her hand and pulled her down a more secluded hallway. Down two or three more corridors they stopped at a curiously hidden room. When he pulled her inside it was dark and she gripped his hand harder, also looping her arm around his. They had become twisted in a small knot, in the dark, their bodies pressed together.

The anxious feelings continued to grow within her, except it wasn’t fear in the pit of her stomach, it felt like butterflies.


	6. Chapter 6

Butterflies. That was unexpected. As was the room she and Kal-El had entered. Their bodies repelled once they noticed how close they were to each other. As the awkwardness dissipated, Kal-El turned on the light and Lois’ eyes adjusted. The room was empty, but the rainbow of light that bounced around the walls was calming. The only other thing she noticed was that it did have another door on the opposite wall.

“So, is this like a meditation room or something?”

“No, it’s a resource room.”

She glanced around again. “Are the resources invisible, or….?”

He rolled his eyes and walked over to the door on the opposite side of the room. “They are in here.”

“Good, then that means I won’t accidentally walk into an invisible jet or something.” She said following him. “Unless, you do have invisible things?”

He slightly smirked. “Earth is antiquated in technology.”

She put her hands on her hips. “We’re not shooting lasers at Death Stars, but we manage.”

“Death...Stars? Do your stars die often?”

Lois smiled and shook her head. “It’s from a movie.”

“Oh." He said as he opened the door.

Lois followed him and gasped at it’s size. The ceiling seemed to rise up hundreds of feet. There were shelves among shelves among shelves littered with all types of objects, many that she recognized.

“These things are from Earth.” She remarked.

“I thought you might be reclusive because you missed your home. This is a collection of things that Kryptonians brought back from their walkabouts.”

“It’s like a museum.” She breathed.

“Of sorts.” He nodded. “This is technically off limits.”

Her eyes widened when she looked at him. “You’re breaking the rules for me?”

He shuffled his feet. “I just thought it would be comforting.” He then started to let his fingers graze the transistor radio that sat on the shelf closet to him. “Maybe you could tell me about Earth.”

“That’s right. Your mom said they stopped the intergalactic field trips when you were born.”

“Another consequence of Zod.” He huffed.

Lois looked around the room again and was intrigued by the stack of magazines. They were covered in dust and she carefully wiped it off to get a better look at the cover. It was a Popular Mechanics from 1925. Aside from the dust it was in perfect condition.

“Amazing.”

He pointed at the issue she was touching. “I’ve read every one of those.”

“How many are in here?”

“Hundreds.”

“You’ve read hundreds of these?” She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Just of that publication. I’ve read everything in here.”

“Huh. You’re quite the nerd.”

He seemed offended. “And how much have you read when you were on Earth?”

“I read.” She said defensively. “I’m just not a bookworm, like you. And I prefer visuals.”

“Of course.”

“Hey, if that’s some kind of Earth dig, I can’t help if I’m not into antiques and hoarding knick-knacks, like you Little Mermaid.”

“I don’t understand your references.” He said, frustrated.

“I know. That’s why I keep using them.” She smiled. 

He sighed. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

She relented and walked towards him. “Well, you said you wanted me to tell you about Earth. What questions do you have besides my pop culture references?”

He leaned against the wall and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not quite sure. I guess I want to know what happens beyond these objects. The last one that was collected,” he then shifted and walked about thirty feet and picked up a bulky rectangle and headphones, “was this.”

Lois’ eyes lit up. “A walkman!”

“A what-man?” He said looking down at it.

She had to laugh at his expression. “You listen to it as you walk.”

“Is that how you power it? By walking?” He said moving in a circle.

“Wow. For all the tech you have in this place, a walkman is blowing your brain?”

He stopped and looked at her. “No one talks about this stuff.”

She felt sympathetic. He was genuinely curious about Earth and didn’t have much of a clue. She walked over to him and plucked the device from his hands. She nostalgically examined it. It was another piece of Earth and one she was very familiar with. She hit the eject button and saw that it did have a cassette inside of it. She pulled out the tape and scoffed at its contents.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Well, whoever snagged this through customs didn’t have much taste.” She said.

“Why?”

“Because out of all the artists they could have introduced to this planet they chose  _ ABBA _ ? That’s like if I brought Nickelback.”

Kal-El again wore his cute confused puppy face and then looked up towards the upper shelves. “There might be others of those tiny data blocks in a box up there with the larger ridged discs.”

She followed his eyes and shook her head. Another time. She then turned the device over and used her thumb to press on the plastic cover to reveal the empty battery compartment.

“I’m guessing you don’t carry double ‘A’ batteries in the gift shop, hm?” He was silent and she rephrased, “It’s powered by special batteries. Without them it’s useless. More data blocks or not.”

He was downcast as he looked at it. She handed the walkman back to him and he put it back on the shelf.

“So, after the walkman, you want to know what hypothetically would find it’s home here?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm,” she tapped her chin, “well, CDs became a thing after the cassette tapes that the walkman plays. Now those are even obsolete. After that you could download music to an iPod. Now, it’s just streamed on our smartphones. Anything you want to listen to. Doesn’t matter the language. You can search it and play it.”

“That’s interesting.”

Lois sighed, “Yeah. I miss that right now. Just laying back and listening to music.”

He nodded and stared at her.

“What?” She asked, becoming self conscious.

“I’m sorry.” He said, apologetically.

“About?”

“That you don’t have that to comfort you.”

“That’s okay. I have anthologies of songs locked up right here.” She said pointing to her head. “Whitesnake being the best rock band of all time.”

“What makes them the best?” He asked.

“Um, everything? Their songs just get the blood pumping and their lyrics just hit your soul. I mean, ‘Here I go again on my own, going down the only road I’ve ever known. Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.’ That’s deep.”

“I like that.” He said.

“The art of the power ballad.”

“Power ballad.” He repeated. 

“I’ll clue you in on a few more of them.” She said as she jumped up on the short table. 

Kal-El sat down in a chair and listened intently as Lois listed bands and songs. Going through lyrics and even singing some verses. She felt like a professor as she used her hands to talk and elaborate. They had both lost track of time as she educated him on the music that was so dear to her. She never held Oliver’s attention like this, especially when it came to her interests.

“So, yeah. Time may have passed since the release of these songs, but they live on. That’s how powerful they are.”

“That’s why they’re called a ‘power ballad’!” He stated emphatically, proud he made a connection.

“Exactly.”

Kal-El attention shifted as he looked at the door. “We should probably go.”

“Right. School’s out.”

She hopped off the table and followed him closely out of the room. She glanced back once more before the door slid closed, Earth again cut off from her.

Another day would go by where she wouldn’t see Kal-El. She had left her room briefly to fetch some more clothes from Lara, who was happy to see her. When Lois returned, she was surprised to see an object on her pillow with a folded piece of paper. She looked upon the present with awe as she read the note.

“I found some batteries in the giftshop. \S/”

She smiled as she picked up the walkman. She placed the headphones on her head and laid down on the bed. She pressed play and she’d never been so happy to listen to ABBA in her whole life.


	7. Chapter 7

She had been summoned. That was what the man she had dubbed as ‘Luigi’ early on had said when he knocked on her door. She had some options. She could comply and see why she was being called or she could stay in her room, barricaded, and risk being forced to leave. She had kept a low profile for the weeks, she estimated, she had been in the ice castle. Most of the days she had spent in her room, while there were the outings where Kal-El would come. She looked at him like her own personal bodyguard. No one would dare to look at her when she walked with him. 

Their most recent jaunt had been outdoors. With each outing she filed away little pieces of information. She had even requested a notebook from Lara when asked if there was anything she needed. She explained that since she was a journalist it eased her anxiety to do something normal for her, which was to write. Lara couldn’t hide the delightful look on her face when Lois mentioned her passion. However, her passion for writing focused more on the details of her abode. She knew where certain men were stationed, but still lacked a sense of what type of weapons they used. She couldn’t get visuals of  _ Star Wars _ out of her head, wondering if lightsabers actually existed. If so, she definitely wanted one. 

While she silently strategized, she had been thankful to leave the walls of the ice fortress behind. She thought back to those moments.

\--

The refreshing air and snow beneath her feet made her believe, just for a moment, that she was on Earth. What she wouldn’t have given to open her eyes and reveal she was at a mountain chalet in the Alps, skiing with her sister. She grinned as she thought of the first time she had skied as a child on the bunny slope, turning her legs in the formation of pizza and french fries---pizza and french fries, to taste that again would be a blessing.

“You enjoy the outdoors?” She heard a deep male voice ask.

She knew who it belonged to and deeply wished that he would be a hot ski instructor when she opened her eyes up. As her eyelids snapped open she was met with the wondrous look of Kal-El. She unintentionally bit her bottom lip thinking about what he would look like dressed in ski gear, blending into the surroundings of Earth as if he belonged there--- gliding alongside her. She lightly shook her head. 

“I was just thinking about home.” She sighed.

“Can I ask what it was?” He asked, trepidatiously. 

She looked far off to the snow covered trees and then back to him.

“I was thinking about skiing.”

He nodded his head and said, “We have that.”

“Yeah?” She asked, pushing away the recently formed image of Earth Kal trying to creep back in.

“Of course.”

“Is Krypton one giant ski slope?”

He shook his head.

“No, it isn’t all like this. There are mountains, beaches, and cities,” He breathed, looking off into the distance. He seemed wistful, an expression she knew well. He seemed to be thinking of  _ elsewhere _ himself.

“So, we’re like in the way north of the planet?” 

Lois had no knowledge of the geography of Krypton. A map would be nice to look at and would have given her some type of feeling of stability in a rather unstable situation. She had no idea of her surroundings and what was outside of the designated area. Apparently, it wasn’t all snow.

“My father chose this area because of its remoteness.” Kal-El supplied. “Travel outside of here is possible, but... dangerous.”

Just then there was a snapping sound. Kal-El grabbed Lois and rushed her up against the outside wall of the structure. She swallowed back, once again feeling his body against hers. He really had a hero complex. Over his shoulder she saw the hanging branch and new mound of snow on the ground directly beneath it. As her eyes returned to her savior against frozen water, she couldn’t help but notice the bulging of his biceps peaking out under his cloak. She suddenly felt the need to bury her face into the fresh mound that put them into this position.

Her head tilted into the direction of the tree. “You can stand down, Costner. A tree branch snapped because of the snow.”

“Right. I knew that.” He nodded, but hadn’t moved.

“You’re still kind of invading my personal space.”

Kal-El jumped back and she watched him intently scan the perimeter. She moved around him and toward a secluded area away from the building. The sparkle of the snow was entrancing. Lois suddenly decided to sit down. She felt the coolness beneath her and fell backward, staring at the sky as it began to mix with the clouds. The shadow of six and a half feet of handsome obscured the red shining sun. 

“What are you doing?”

She sprawled out her body, her arms and legs pointed in opposite directions. She realized she might look strange, so she resisted the urge to make a snow angel and sat back up.

“Just trying to enjoy this.”

Kal-El gently sat down beside her. “I like the snow. When it blankets the ground it makes everything look new.”

“It does.” She agreed.

“Does it snow a lot on Earth?”

She leaned back again, the cold not bothering her.

“It depends. Some places are ultra cold like this, so it snows and stays frozen. Other places it snows only certain months and some places never see snow. I like the beach as much as the next girl, but there’s something about walking around as it’s snowing, especially if it’s at night. There’s this light in the sky that doesn’t go away. So, it’s supposed to be pitch black but the snow makes it brighter. I know there’s some scientific explanation behind it, but it’s fun to think snow has this magic about it.”

She glanced over to see Kal-El staring at her. She seemed to be catching him doing this more and more.

“What?”

He removed his eyes and looked straight ahead. Then he remarked, “I didn’t know others thought about it that way.”

Trying to move the conversation along, she asked, "You said Krypton has beaches?”

He nodded. “By the old volcanoes. They were beautiful. While this is white, there the sands are black against the blue of the water. When the sky is just right as the sun sets, it’s the most beautiful and peaceful thing you could imagine.”

“Were?” She questioned.

He sighed and she could see the breath he exhaled in front of him. “Before Zod. He’s polluted this planet in so many ways.”

“Is there any way to stop him?”

“From the shadows.”

“What if you step into the light?” 

Kal-El’s head hung low and vaguely remarked, “That’s what he wants. I can’t do that. Not now.”

There was obviously information he wasn’t divulging. What she could understand was that Kal-El especially couldn’t let himself be known to Zod. That intrigued her. What was it about Kal-El that he had to hide himself? Was he important somehow?

As they fell silent she looked back up at the sky. She saw the red sun peaking through the clouds. The sun on Earth sometimes would look red as it was setting on a hot summer day, but to see it constantly that color, matched with the magenta hue of the sky, was when she jolted back to her reality.

“That red sun is something.”

He smirked. “From what I read about Earth when your sun sets in minutes. Here it’s hours. Nothing like it.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed.” She replied, unimpressed.

“You don’t like it?”

She shrugged. “I’m just impatient.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He commented.

She scoffed. “That’s funny coming from you.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re so Type A!”

“I don’t understand.”

“It means that things always have to be a certain way with you!”

“The right way!” He answered.

“Your way is not necessarily the right way.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“But your way is?” He challenged.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Sometimes.” Her head wobbled from side to side and then she said, “Most of the time.”

“Of course.”

She was about to react as he rolled his eyes and then stopped herself when she tried to pinpoint what it was that started the argument.

“Where are we in this conversation? Were we fighting about which sun is better?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“Red sun, yellow sun. What’s the difference besides the length of sun sets?”

“There’s a bigger difference,” he said under his breath.

“Oh, here we go again!” She exclaimed. “What’s the difference? Enlighten me.”

“From what I understand the yellow sun has a reaction for Kryptonians.”

“What kind of reaction?”

“We form abilities.”

Lois definitely wanted to learn more about this. “Abilities?”

He nodded. “Great speed and strength. Beyond anything a human could ever imagine. I even read in a diary about the ability to defy the gravitational pull.”

“You mean fly?” She breathed in surprise.

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Now I really understand why it sucks you never got to pull your ticket. I guess the same can’t be said about humans on Krypton. The red sun has given me bupkis.”

She then shut her eyes tight and scrunched her face up in concentration.

“What are you doing?” She heard Kal-El ask.

“Thinking happy thoughts. Am I levitating yet?”

“No.”

“Damn, had to try.” She said and then opened her eyes back up.

She glanced back over to Kal-El , who was staring at her in amusement. She gave him a playful smile and it was the first time she saw him truly smile back. As they sat there she knew they were heading into dangerous territory. She was getting lost in his gaze, in the wonder that was Kal-El, his stories about Krypton, his aspirations for a taste of Earth. Even their little spat wasn’t as annoying as it had been in the beginning when she met him. It was becoming more natural, almost a precursor to something more.

In an effort to shut the feelings down, her hand formed first and she punched Kal-El in the shoulder. He looked down at where she had made contact on his body and then back at her, his eyebrows raised. The moment had shifted. She just had to keep punching.

\--

As the memory faded, Lois returned back to the present time. Luigi was in the hallway waiting for her to follow him. Kal-El wasn’t around, so she was without her so-called bodyguard. She slowly left the safety and comfort of her room and walked down the hallway until Luigi stopped at the door she recalled was for the lab. She looked around and there wasn’t anyone else around except for a woman she didn’t know, her face covered and blue eyes exposed, walking past them. Lois received an icy glare before the woman continued on her way.

When the door opened, the sound made Lois jump and returned her attention back to the individual in front of her. Luigi gestured for her to enter then turned and began to leave. She took a deep breath and passed over the threshold into the empty space. She spun around quickly and was about to leave herself, five second rule and all, when Jor-El appeared at the doorway.

“Hello, Lois Lane.”

“Mr. ...El.” She greeted, awkwardly.

“Jor-El is fine.” He said as he walked further into the room and toward her.

They were alone. Lois swallowed back nervously, but kept her posture straight and her eyes directly on Jor-El.

“Any clue as to how much longer until I’m travelling back on my own Jefferson Starship?” She asked, pointing to what appeared to be a small replica of a ship on the far wall.

“I know you must be nervous being here, but I simply want to talk.” He said, taking a step forward.

“Nervous? I’m not nervous.” She said, taking a step back from him.

“Very well, Miss Lane.”

Jor-El walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. He poured the clear liquid and then brought the glasses over to where he was previously standing. He offered her a glass and she took it from him. She watched as he took a sip and she cautiously took hers. It stung as it made its way down her throat and she recognized the feeling. Alcohol. The Kryptonian kind. It was strong and had a kick. She kind of needed that. Concluding the atmosphere was more at ease, she watched as Jor-El took another sip and sat down.

“What did you want to talk about anyway?” She asked, putting the drink down and crossing her arms against her chest.

“Kal-El has given me the information about the day he found you. I know you have said pieces of the story, but in order to figure out this situation I need to collect more data.”

Lois sighed. She had gone over this hundreds of times in her head. “I was following a story in Smallville. These ancient tribal caves had been uncovered and I went in to investigate.” She closed her eyes and conjured the memories back. “I felt something cold. But when I turned there was just a wall. When I got closer it seemed like there was a secret passageway and the wall moved. I was in another room with more markings and this octagonal indent. When I touched it there was a bright light. Then I was here.”

When she opened her eyes Jor-El was staring right at her. She couldn’t decipher his emotions well. It had been like that with Kal-El, too. Like father, like son. Or were all Kryptonians like that?

“I remember Smallville fondly. I had been sent to Earth to go through my trial. I met a woman there.” He then longingly said, “It was an experience that...that both swells and breaks my heart.” 

“I guess a long distance relationship wasn’t in the cards.”

“Unfortunately, her fate made it the most distant of all.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t---”

Jor-El cut her off. “How could you have?” He moved from his seat and paced near his work station. “My time in Smallville began a timeline of events I couldn’t have imagined when I had first arrived. I had gotten caught up in circumstances beyond my control, in a foreign world. It could have skewed my entire view of Earth and humanity. However, I found myself in the company of a family on a farm... the Kents.” He nodded as he recalled the name. “They showed me such kindness. There was warmth in that house that was immeasurable.” 

He cleared his throat and continued, “I have learned many things over the course of my life. Travelling to Earth shaped me in several ways. I focused my energies into making Krypton a better world and trying to save it from itself.”

“I guess every world needs that.”

He nodded. “But hubris, it cost me my reputation, my legacy, the crest of this family.”

Lois leaned against the metal table. “How so?”

“Right before Kal-El was born, there had been terrible earthquakes and shifts of climate. The abuse of the gateway and rhetoric in the military and government was fueling decisions that I viewed as detrimental. The data had dictated that Krypton was on the cusp of destroying itself. Figuratively and literally.”

“You predicted the planet was going to what? Explode?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

Lois’ eyes widened. “But you’re still here.”

“Precisely. I warned everyone. A panic ensued. Then...then there was nothing. The council stripped my title. As Zod gained power and influence, I could see exactly what he was doing. I tried to talk to every high official I could, but no one would listen. Who would listen to a mad scientist?”

“It wasn’t your fault. They shouldn’t have treated you that way.”

“But they did. And I'm afraid my son has paid for my sins.” He said, his head beginning to fall.

“I don’t think he sees it that way.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t know. He doesn’t express his emotions to me much.”

Lois rolled her eyes. “Join the club.”

“On the contrary, Miss Lane. He is most expressive when he is with you.”

Lois’ eyes grew bigger at his comment. “Huh?”

“You seem to have enchanted my son.” He said with a twinge of a smile.

“Enchanted? Whoa there, George Jetson. There’s nothing going on between me and Elroy. We’re barely even friends.”

“My son has lived an isolated life, much of it my own doing to protect him from Zod. I have seen the way he is with you. He is at ease.”

“At ease? That guy is so tightly wound I’m surprised a diamond hasn’t come out of him.”

“I know my son. He is protective by nature, yes, but the way he looks at you, it is different.”

“I think it’s just because he knows I’m different and he’s sympathetic.” She rationalized, not wanting to think anything different. She had to keep punching those thoughts. “I think I would be too if the spaceship was on the other side of the galaxy.”

“It’s humorous that you mention that. When I thought Krypton would indeed be gone, I built him a ship. I was ready to send my son across the twenty-eight galaxies so he could have a life and not be weighed down by my mistakes. So he could feel the warmth I had felt so many years ago.”

“You were going to send him to Smallville?” She realized.

“If we had to,” he sighed, “but we never did.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

She was happy to gain more of a backstory to her host, but there had to be a reason as to why. She felt that everything had been so secretive, that Jor-El wouldn't just be spilling the beans on events in his life because he wanted a drinking buddy.

“Because I believe you are the key.”

“The key? To what?”

His head fell, “I’m not sure.”

“That’s comforting.”

“The bridge between Krypton and Earth has been sealed for decades, yet you managed to travel through.” His hand formed a fist and hit the surface of the table. “I have to figure out why.”

“Yeah, well that Zod guy was out there. How do you know he didn’t hot wire it?”

“If Zod had opened the portal he would have used it. He found you out there. If he didn’t piece it together then, he probably has already done so now. I fear that he too wants to know how you got through. Which is why it is imperative that you stay here and don’t leave.”

Lois suddenly picked up her idle glass and took a swig.

After the burning stopped she said, “Wait a second. Are you truly saying that I’m locked in a tower? For how long?”

His blue eyes pierced hers as he remained silent. The answer was no answer. She was stuck on Krypton, stuck in the House of El, with no end in sight. She was going to have to find a way back to Earth herself, no matter what.


	8. Chapter 8

Trying to distract herself after returning to her room, Lois flung herself onto the bed. From under the pillow, she took out the contraband walkman and started to listen again to the one cassette that she had in her possession. She needed music to take her away from the depressing and disturbing news that she was indefinitely stuck. Not just that she was stuck on another planet, but she was going to be quarantined at the House of Jor-El with confirmation of no end date in sight. She was already going stir-crazy and any time she asked it had seemed that they were coming upon a solution. But, that had been a lie or a diversion to her predicament. Even Kal-El had been in on that. He always said, “We’re working on it. It will happen soon.” She should have known. “Soon” was always code for “I/we have no idea”. Being told she couldn't leave felt like a punishment. The General had done that more times than she could count, but there was never a lock she couldn't pick. She just needed to figure out how to do it.

ABBA played through her ears, as it has been on repeat since the device was in her hands. She mouthed the words as the slow and solemn song _ “The Winner Takes It All” _ played. She sat up, emotional through the lyrics. She then found herself standing on the bed, overt in performance as she belted out the chorus. She whipped the headphones off and let the walkman drop with a light thud on the bed when she realized what she had been doing.

“Oh, Lois. We never speak of this.” She said, shaking her head. “God, I need new music.”

She hopped off the bed and started to pace. Her fingers flexed at her sides. She was starting to become more and more anxious and music could calm that down, but no longer would  _ Dancing Queen _ or  _ S.O.S _ . be sufficient.

Walking to the door she wondered if she dared leave the room again. She feared that she might see Jor-El and he would have more news and need to relocate her to the cellar or dungeon with some kind of reasoning for her safety. He called her ‘the key’ and she didn’t want to venture as to the full meaning of what that meant. She wasn’t a key. She wasn’t special. Not in those terms. She just wasn’t.

But, she needed a distraction or she would dwell on those details and never sleep. When Kal-El had first questioned her about the walkman he mentioned there were other ‘data blocks’ in a box and she hoped it wasn’t more anthologies of the current group stuck in the cassette compartment at the moment. She turned back quickly to get the device and tucked into a deep pocket of the oversized sky blue cloak she had been given. The next item of clothing she was hoping to get would maybe be a pair of pants.

Exiting her room, she looked from left to right and didn’t see anyone around. She made a note of that in her head. She didn’t know what the exact hour was, but it was definitely in the middle of the night. She snuck down the hallway and around the corridors she remembered going when Kal-El first brought her. She reached the door and peeked inside. No one was around. She let out a breath and walked to the second door that opened to the expansive Resource Room. 

When she walked in she once again looked up and scanned the ceiling that seemed like it reached hundreds of feet in the air. 

“Wow.” She breathed in awe.

It was darker in the room and she didn’t know exactly where a light switch was. So, she calculated the direction she needed to go in and felt her way, using the dim light in there already to guide her. She felt like she was sneaking around the Metropolis City Library or the Metropolis Museum of Art. She spotted a metal box high up on the shelf and she recalled it being what Kal-El had pointed to. She began to climb on a table underneath the shelving and when she stood she was still not tall enough. If only she had her stilettos. She placed her hands on the shelf attached to the wall in front of her and put some weight on it to test its strength. It was sturdy and she felt that it could hold her if she used it like a step. 

" _ Mama Mia, _ this is high!" She said as she climbed and stretched her arm above her head.

She still wasn’t able to reach and tried to use one more shelf as a step. Just as she was about to reach the box, her foot got caught in the bottom of her dress. Her eyes shut tight as she slipped and felt the air beneath her. She chastised herself that she could end up breaking a limb, breaking her neck, or worse, all because she needed a new playlist. She waited for the hard table to break her fall on her way toward the ground. She cringed anticipating the pain to come. Powers from the red sun would have come in handy in that moment. 

She felt a pressure around her shoulders and under her legs, but the pain didn’t follow. When she opened her eyes she looked down to her right and was hovering above the floor. Yet, it was not the powers she had hoped for. As she reached out her left hand she grabbed on to a bulging bicep. Her eyes snapped up to the face connected to the muscles that had caught her.

“Nice save, Gretzky.” She said with a half smile as she looked at Kal-El.

“What are you doing?” Kal-El asked, harshly.

She blinked her hazel eyes rapidly. She was taken aback by his rough tone. He was angry at something or maybe it was at her. She knew that this was a space that was special to him, but she didn’t think she was really trespassing since he had invited her into it previously.

“I--I was looking for something.”

His face was still unmoving as his glaring eyes scanned over her. “Looking for what?”

“I wanted another cassette for the walkman. Disco is officially dead for this girl. Time for something new to get rid of these earworms.” He looked perplexed and then she rephrased before he started inspecting her ears for parasites, “The songs are not particularly my taste and are getting stuck in my head. It’s starting to drive me a little nuts.”

His facial expression displayed an annoyance, but he still was gripping her tightly. He hadn’t let go. She saw his lips start to move and she figured he was going to say something along the lines that she was driving  _ him _ nuts, but then his lips pursed together and he just stared at her.

“If you have something to say, then say it.” She barked, starting to get annoyed herself.

He looked at his right arm, which was securely around her shoulders. She could feel him let a deep breath out and he began to lower her down, her feet touching the floor. She took a step back from him and the two stood in the dim light, silent. Ka-El glanced beyond her, looking up at the treasure she had been hell bent on coveting. He stepped beyond her and around a dark corner. When he returned he had a ladder with him.

“Well, if I knew that existed this wouldn’t have happened.” She remarked, her left hand settling on her hip. 

“You didn’t ask.” He said setting it up against the shelves.

She rolled her eyes, “No one was here to ask.”

“You could have waited for me.”

“I thought we established that patience isn’t exactly a characteristic of mine.”

She heard a little snicker from Kal-El as he retrieved the box and climbed back down the ladder. He placed it on the table and turned so she could come closer to examine the contents. 

“Patience has its rewards.” He retorted as she came closer.

Lois didn’t have much of a come back and just stuck her tongue out at him when he turned his head. He walked toward the entrance and his hand waved in front of the right wall beside it. The lights of the room turned on and Lois’ eyes adjusted. She turned back to the box and started to sift through the “artifacts”. It was like a mystery grab bag as some of the cassettes weren’t labeled. She guessed they were mix-tapes of sorts and she was curious as to what songs they held. With her luck it was more disco.

She flipped through some of the records and stopped as she realized the 45s in the box were oldies songs. Her fingertips lightly grazed the records. They reminded her of her mother. This was the type of music she remembered her listening to as she did chores around the house. Her mother always said it reminded her of The Colonel, the rank her father had before her mother died. She could never connect the music to her father, even if her mother had mentioned dancing in the kitchen to it with him. Whenever songs like these had come on the radio he always ordered, “Turn that racket off!”. She could only assume the music reminded him of her mother and that hurt too much.

She could feel Kal-El’s presence return. He stood behind her, like a shadow. Normally, she would have made a remark about his proximity, him breathing down her neck, however in that moment she didn’t want him to back away. He carried himself with such strength that she needed him to be close so whatever he emitted she could absorb. 

“Are you okay?” He asked softly, his previous tone had completely dissipated.

She nodded her head. “This music reminds me of my mom, that’s all.”

“She likes it?”

“Liked. Past tense.” She said thumbing through more of the music.

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It’s in the past.”

“It must still hurt.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “I picked myself up by my bootstraps a long time ago. I made sure my sister was taken care of, got myself through school, found my passion, and became the best.” She gave herself an affirmative nod. She has weathered all the storms she had been in. She had clawed her way up to be the top reporter at the Daily Planet. When she felt empty, she just reminded herself of the Pulitzer on her mantle. “I did what I had to do. Even if I had to do it alone. I’m fine.”

She fought the sadness swirling in her gut. She carried a heavy load. She would try to be dismissive of it, tell herself that she had her sister, their cousin Whitney, and even Oliver, but the phantom weight was always there on her shoulders. As she thought about it, she felt an actual weight on her left shoulder. She glanced in the direction of it and saw Kal-El’s hand. 

She let her eyes close as he said, “You’re not alone.”

Why did his words make her catch her breath? Why had the swirling sadness start to disappear? Why did she believe his words were genuine? Would she have had the same reaction if the man behind her was Oliver? She then felt the weight of her engagement ring on her finger. She had to shake it off. Her feelings for Kal-El, not her ring. 

As she spun around, Kal-El’s hand dropped and he looked at her wide-eyed. She gave him a small grin and whipped her hand up to slap his upper arm. He looked at the spot where she had made contact with his body then back to her.

“Thanks, Krypto. Glad to know I have a friend in you.”

She spun back around to the box, not giving him the opportunity to react to her face. She had to table this ‘thrown into the trenches together, sparks thing’ that was between them. She just told herself it was because she didn’t have anyone else. It was what she was starting to call Krypton Syndrome, she was bonding with her alien protector, and she wouldn’t let it take over her. 

She dug back into the box and made the decision that whatever she pulled out next was just going to have to do. It didn't have a label. Of course. She could live with that, for now.

“Okay, well, I guess I got what I came for.” She said turning back around, ready to exit and move around Kal-El.

“You might want to test it out first. Make sure it works.”

“Right.” She replied. She dug into her deep pocket and pulled out the walkman. She ejected the current tape and dropped it back into the box. She then loaded it up with the new one. She picked up the headphones and placed one side on her left ear as she pressed play. The opening notes of a piano rang out and Lois vaguely recognized the song as one by Elton John.

She watched as Kal-El picked up the other part of the headphones.

“May I?” He asked, indicating he wanted to listen, too.

She nodded and moved closer to him. The metal headpiece of the headphones stretched as Kal-El held the opposite end to his ear. 

_ “...And it won't be long before you and me run to the place in our hearts where we hide…And I guess that's why they call it the blues. Time on my hands should be time spent with you....”  _

Lois hit the stop button on the walkman. She looked at Kal-El, their shoulders touching, the headset connecting them. She didn’t want the song to continue. She didn’t want to think about them getting along and laughing, being more than friends, and what the uptick of status in their relationship could entail as the lyrics suggested. She couldn’t be this close to him. Yet, they were leaning into one another. She let the earpiece fall and pushed the walkman into his hand, like it was a hot potato.

“I know you’ve been curious about this. So, how about you take it for a little while and try it out. Have fun with it.”

She then catapulted herself toward the exit and, once more, didn’t give him the chance to react. She needed to put as much space as possible between her and Kal. As she left the Resource Room and rounded the corridor, her mind elsewhere, she didn’t realize there was another presence until she bumped into them.

“Yikes.” She breathed out. “Sorry.”

The piercing and icy blue eyes staring at her were very familiar and she realized she had seen them earlier. Only this time the scarf around the face of the individual was missing, revealing a beautiful blonde woman who looked as if she was a few years older than Lois was.

“Why are you out here?” The woman asked, unpleasantness saturated in her voice.

Lois shrugged. “Just out for a walk.”

The woman folded her arms against her chest. “A walk? At this time?”

Lois mimicked the action and replied, “Couldn’t sleep and room service didn’t deliver the warm glass of milk I ordered.”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “I suggest you return back to your quarters.”

“What are you like, the hall monitor or something?”

The blonde took a step closer to Lois. Her eyes sharpened even more, if possible.

“You don’t seem to understand what your presence here means, human.”

Lois definitely didn’t like the way she said ‘human’. Clearly this woman already had decided she didn't like Lois and Lois was gravitating toward the feelings being mutual.

“Well, this human, she has a name and it’s Lois. I assume yours is  _ Ice Bitch _ ?”

The woman’s mouth curved upward in a smirk. “You are as you were described.”

Lois narrowed her eyes. “And who exactly is writing my bio around here?”

“Kal-El.”

Her stomach rippled in waves at the mention of his name. The look on the blonde’s face ranged from disdain to possibly jealousy. She could feel her stomach plummet as she wondered if this woman could possibly be interested in Kal-El and maybe some of her attitude toward her was more about her feelings for him rather than Lois being from Earth.

“He might not be the best one to ask.”

“His attention to detail is meticulous and his way with words puts those Earth authors to shame. He  _ is _ the best person to ask.” She replied pointedly.

“Okay, then. I didn’t realize he was taking such copious notes about me.”

The woman scoffed, “More than he should be.”

“You can discuss that with him, then.”

“I already did.” She said bitterly.“ And judging from the direction you were coming from, my words and warning fell flat on his ears.” 

“Warning?” Lois questioned.

“Yes, to stay away from you and to let Jor-El be in control of this situation.”

“Maybe he didn’t want you to be his keeper.”

The blonde shook her head. “Kal-El does not understand the magnitude of this situation, but I do. Your presence puts all of us in danger. It puts Kal-El in danger. You’ve been a distraction to him and he needs to return his focus.”

“Focus on what?”

“That’s not your business.” She leaned in and lowered her voice as she continued, “Stay away from Kal-El before you get him  **killed** .”

The still nameless blonde then leaned back upright and turned. The sound of her walking as she stalked away echoed, but Lois’ beating heart soon masked the sound. She didn’t want to be rattled, but she was, her stomach dropping twice in one night. She didn’t know the powers at play, really. She knew that Zod was their enemy and this resistance was in hiding, but there was so much more to the story. As much as Lois wanted to discover what was hiding beneath the surface she was struck by the urgent need to flee. If she could just get to that stupid altar then maybe there was chance she could get back to her world and get back to safety. Then she wouldn't be a priority for the House of El and they could get back to what was important before she arrived in their lives, in Kal-El's life. 

If she was a key, like Jor-El thought, then she was going to open the lock and escape magician-style. She just needed the right moment for her disappearing act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference: "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John.


	9. Chapter 9

Lois returned back to her room and took out the notebook she had been keeping. She calculated the time of night, the traffic of the hall, and the station of guards. She couldn’t risk running into Krypton Barbie in the hall again. Her chance would have to wait.

She hadn’t been able to sleep the rest of the night. Her thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. Some thoughts weren’t about her secret mission. Some were about her family, her job, and her life on Earth. Then they veered toward Kal-El. She couldn’t stop the worry she had for him. She knew she needed to stay away from him, for his own sake, but her stomach tightened at the thought of not seeing him. She had told him he was her friend, and she actually had meant it. He was her friend, her only friend. He made her feel safe. But, she wanted to keep him safe, as well. 

This might just be her chance. She had to leave. If she stayed she was putting them in danger, she was putting Kal-El in danger.

As night turned to day, Lois kept to herself. Even though she had made a vow internally to not seek Kal-El out, in the back of her mind she thought the loophole might be that he would find her. Yet, he didn’t. There was no sign of Kal-El. Maybe he was finally listening to the warning given to him. Maybe that woman had more influence than she knew. She didn’t want to venture into what their relationship was. She wasn’t sure what was making her more angry, not knowing who Blondie was or how much she cared enough to know. Her fingers went to her engagement ring and twisted it around her ring finger, grazing the stones. She couldn’t have those thoughts. It wasn’t right. It didn’t matter.

So, she focused on what did matter: her plan. Late in the evening she snuck from her room and wandered around. She took in every detail of her environment. She noted the exit points and knew that to the south of her room, or what she perceived as south, was the back exit she took with Kal-El. If she could make it to the trees, she could swing around and head in the direction of the front of the ice palace, the way she had entered with Kal-El her first day on Krypton. If she remembered correctly, they had stayed straight for miles. If she kept in that direction, she should end up back to where she started.

It seemed just crazy enough to work out.

She headed back to her room and documented everything in her notebook. She sketched out her plan, but she also added some personal notes. She hadn’t just been using the book to piece together her escape, but to vent her experience. If...when she made it back to Earth it would be the only memento she would have of her time as a stranger in a strange land.

As she counted down the hours until sunset, she stayed in her room again. She had kicked herself for giving away the walkman because she was in need of music, even ABBA, to calm her nerves. As she paced the room, there was a knock at the door. She whipped her head toward the sound, eyes widened in anticipation. It wasn’t fear, but hope.

Her first thought was, ‘ _Kal-El_.’

However, when the door slid open, she was greeted by a different member of the House of El. Lara stood in the doorway with a delicate smile.

“May I come in?”

Lois nodded, “Uh, yeah, sure.”

Lara walked over the threshold and toward Lois.

“I wanted to check on you since I heard that you seemed to be secluding yourself again.”

“Well, there isn’t exactly an activity guide here. If you want to tell me what time Bingo is and where, I’ll be there.”

Lara let out a little chuckle. “I know that being here has been difficult. Having to deal with so many unknowns, especially since you said your work on Earth was one of a reporter, I cannot imagine how suspenseful and frustrating it is to not have answers.”

“You can say that again.” Lois mumbled.

“There is hard work being done, please do not think your situation is not imperative and has been cast aside.”

“I don’t,” she stated. “But I know that you were focused on other things before I arrived here.”

Lara sighed. “Krypton has gone through a transformation. I believe it will return to what it once was.”

“It must suck to be in hiding here.” She said bluntly.

“Well, yes, it is.” Lara then smiled, “But I have my family. That’s what's important.”

“Family is very important,” Lois agreed.

Lara’s face softened even more, “You must miss yours.”

“Very much.”

“I’m sure they are missing you, too.”

Lara reached out and brought Lois into a hug. She was so motherly and Lois had not experienced such feminine warmth since her own mother. She actually began to rethink her plan.

“Thanks, I didn’t know how much I needed this. The General wasn’t exactly known for his affectionate side.”

“Kal-El mentioned that you lost your mother as a child.” She replied tenderly.

It was the reference to Kal-El that caused Lois to stiffen slightly. He had taken the time to speak with his mother, relay information about her life, but passed her door without so much as a simple greeting. Whatever lingering doubt she had about her plan disappeared.

Lois pulled back and managed a smile. “I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. You’ve been so kind to me and for my intrusion.”

“You’ve brought life back into this house. I should be thanking you.”

Lois wanted to pry and unpack her statement further, but denied herself the chance.

“Is there anything else that you need, Lois?” She asked.

Lois simply shook her head. Realizing that the Earth girl’s walls were building back up, Lara knew their little heart to heart had come to an end. She gave Lois an encouraging squeeze on her arm and vacated the room. Once she was gone, Lois let out a deep breath. She had almost abandoned her plan, but seemed to be more determined than ever to reach her family.

As the sun set and the hours went by, Lois knew her moment of escape was upon her.

Finding enough courage to strap the heavy white robe on, she picked up the hood and let her head hang low. She walked out into the hallway and tried to move as if she knew where she was going. She was doing well at first, turning down corridors that were somewhat familiar. It was when she got towards the exit that she stilled. There were men who looked like they could be guards, who hadn’t been there before, and she wasn't sure she could get past them. Luckily, for her, they became distracted by someone who was in the opposite hallway. Shielding her face the best she could she slipped out stealthily. The dark sky hung over her and while she wanted to stare at its hues she knew it was only a matter of time before someone noticed her absence, before they came looking for her. She had to move. She had to get home.

Lois moved into the trees. Parts of the ground were melted from the snow and she saw its dirt and vegetation for the first time. She tried her best to step on these parts to not leave more apparent prints in the snow.

Her sense of direction began to get lost in the new land after some time. The landscape was a mixture of green trees and white snow, which all looked the same. She couldn’t tag anything since she didn’t have materials with her and also didn’t want to leave a trail for anyone to find her. She shivered as she moved forward, the robe seemingly not enough to warm her this time around. She tried to recall something, anything, from when she first arrived, but it was useless. She was lost, cold, and now hunger panged her stomach. She regretted playing with her food earlier in the day. The decision she had made was starting to bite her in the ass.

Lois kept walking, albeit slowly, holding the robe closer around her. In the distance she spotted something different, a blackness on the ground--scorched earth. She was curious if that could possibly be the spot where she had landed--maybe the point of which would lead her back home.

Her steps quickened as her heart beated faster. She had to get to it. She had to get to that spot. She had almost reached it when a shadow came into view. She stopped in her tracks, but her heart still pounded. When the shadow came into the light that bounced off the snow she recognized the face and the uniform. General Zod. He was the one who had tried to capture her during her arrival, but she had been saved. She looked behind her, from left to right. Nothing. No one. She looked ahead and the man, Zod, smirked. She was alone and he knew that. He took a step forward and she clenched her fists. In an instant everything her father taught her flashed through her brain. Then everything in front of her blurred white.

As if by chance, clouds had formed and a squall of snow fell hard to the ground. The blizzard-like condition made it hard to see and blurred her vision. On Earth this was considered a white out. She didn’t know where Zod was. She could hear her father warning her to “watch her six”. She used her peripheral vision and quickly looked behind her to see if anyone was there. It seemed clear, but she knew he was out there. Her gut told her so.

A hand then grabbed her shoulder. She swiftly maneuvered around and grabbed the trespasser’s arm, twisting it around their back and pushing them into the snow-covered ground.

“Terran, it’s me!” The man said.

She knew that voice. It was a voice she hadn’t heard, and had longed to hear--though she didn’t want to admit it-- in days.

“Kal-El?”

“Let me up! Quickly!” He urged.

She obeyed and let him go. He was on his feet within seconds and had his grip on her once again.

“Hey!” She yelped.

“We don’t have time for this! Move!”

For a second time since their meeting, he dragged her through the dense Kryptonian forest. Though her vision was still impaired, it didn’t seem like they were heading back to his ice castle. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the opening of a cave ahead. The now mixed precipitation fell harder and she shivered beneath her wet robe. She was beginning to lose feeling in her fingers and toes. She hoped that wherever they were heading would have a source of heat inside.

When they reached the opening, they ran deep into the cave and through some smaller, seemingly secret, passages. When they stopped, it was pitch black. She held onto Kal-El’s arm, her fingernails digging into his skin. With his other arm, she felt him reach into his cloak. He pulled out a glowing crystal that illuminated the small room.

When her eyes adjusted she could see that the little hideaway they were in was Kal-El’s space. She could tell that there were items that were personally his. She hadn’t known him long, but she felt like she knew him enough to know that those things belonged to him.

“Sit.” He said, pointing to a ledge that had multiple coverings on it. 

She sat down and wrapped herself up in the fur-lined blankets. He threw something else from his cloak into a hole in the wall and a fire soon erupted.

“Convenient.” She said through chattering teeth.

When he looked at her she could tell that he wasn’t amused at all. It actually reminded her of the look her father would give her after she had gotten herself into trouble. She wasn’t in the mood for a lecture from Kal-El, though.

“What in Rao’s name were you thinking?” He seethed.

She rolled her eyes. Here it came.

“Look, I wanted to get home, alright?”

“We were working on that!” He roared.

“Really? And how the hell would I know? I haven’t seen you in days!” She yelled back.

“I’ve been working with my father.”

“Just him?” She scoffed, thinking about the nameless blonde she had encountered.

“Yes! We were being precise with our data.”

“And a solution would happen soon, right? Soon!? Kal, that word has no meaning. The longer I'm here, that means the longer I’m locked away. For who knows how long! And the longer I’m here then the longer you’re in danger!”

“You said your father was a general and, yet, you lack the ability to follow orders.”

“It’s not that I lack it, it’s that I don’t follow orders I don’t agree with. I don’t like being left out or left behind.”

He took a step closer to her. “You could have gotten yourself captured...or killed!” The last part of his sentence he has said with such fear in his eyes she had been taken aback at how her prison break affected him. 

“Don’t you think I know that? I miss my home, Kal! I miss my family!” She held the blanket tighter around her body. “Imagine if you were ripped away from everything you knew. That you couldn’t get back home. That your family and friends were light years away. You were in foreign territory, with no knowledge of it.” For the first time she let a tear escape her eye as she let her emotions cascade out through her words, “I hate to admit this, but I’m scared. I’m scared to death being here. I’m scared of being alone in a hostile world. I’m scared that it could get you hurt or...or killed.” She cleared her throat. “If I could manage this by myself, I could save us all.”

Kal-El’s head fell along with his shoulders. Droplets of water fell from his dark mop of hair, a stray strand forming a curl on his forehead. The fire he had created, along with the firm stance he took, made his skin glow from the light. He crouched down to her and extended his hand. His thumb brushed across her cheek and wiped the tear away.

“You’re not alone. I told you that.”

She nodded her head slightly, his finger still resting on her cheek, and his hand barely cupping the side of her face. Pieces of her wet hair tumbled forward as she shifted her head closer and he used his other hand to gently push it back over her ear.

If feeling scared was the first thing she hated to admit, the second was the spark she was feeling from Kal-El’s touch. She throttled herself internally, reminding her brain that she was engaged and in love with another man, but it was no use. Kal-El’s touch woke something up inside of her, something she desperately wanted to explore.

She stared into his lovely piercing turquoise eyes and she could tell he was feeling something, too. He was also trying to fight it like she was. 

“You frightened me.” He finally said. “I thought Zod had you.”

“He almost did, but you saved the day.” She said with a small smile. “You always seem to, Hercules.”

His mouth curved upward at the nickname and she watched as some of his walls came tumbling down.

She let out a shallow breath as she let the blanket fall from around her shoulders. She opened her arms, the fabric making it look like she had wings, and closed them around Kal-El’s body, pulling him into a hug. She held onto him for dear life, burying her head into his chest. She felt him bring his strong arms around her and held her just as tight. For a few minutes they stayed in that position, just holding each other and being comforted by the other’s warmth.

She thought that was all she needed. That just being in his embrace after being vulnerable was enough. She pulled back from him, the blanket still around both of them. When she looked at his face and could see the genuine concern he had for her. How he had risked everything to come after her, not only because of a mission, but because of something else.

But she couldn’t. They couldn’t. It wasn’t right. 

Yet, before she knew it, her lips were hovering over his, only centimeters apart. Neither officially closed the gap between them, but neither could deny how much they actually wanted to do so.

Kal-El’s lips shifted up and kissed her forehead instead. It was more intimate than if he had kissed her on the lips. The feeling made her pulse quicken, a fever igniting from the very spot where his lips touched her skin. 

They were still clinging to each other, as if they would drown if they let go. Lois let her head return to his chest again, his chin now docked on top of it. She was shielded in the warmth of the fire, the blanket, and Kal-El. The irony was soon setting in how desperate she had been to escape this world and how, in that moment, she’d have to be pried out of Kal-El’s arms in order to leave it.


End file.
